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Switchable smart window coating can heat or cool a room

February 18, 2022

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Switchable smart window coating can heat or cool a roomPhase-change material can convert sunlight into heat or reflect it while staying transparent

Phase-change material can convert sunlight into heat or reflect it while staying transparent

Anew window coating absorbs the sun’s warm near-infrared rays in the winter and reflects them in the summer while keeping the glass transparent (ACS Photonics 2021, DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.1c01128). Windows with the switchable glaze could cut the energy use of a house by up to 25% compared with windows used in new construction today.

Energy-efficient windows could play a key role in reducing the energy needed to heat and cool buildings, which makes up more than one-fifth of all the energy used by developed countries. Today’s efficient windows have two glass panes with low-emissivity coatings that improve insulation by preventing heat transfer. Smart windows that can be electrically triggered to darken and block the sun’s visible and near-IR light are also now on the market.

But smart windows that remain see-through would be more desirable to building inhabitants, which inspired Nathan Youngblood of the University of Pittsburgh, Harish Bhaskaran of the University of Oxford, and their colleagues to make the new coating. Their ultrathin material heats or cools a building’s interior without affecting visibility by absorbing or reflecting the sun’s near-IR rays. “The unique twist on smart windows is that the visible light transmission is pretty much unchanged,” Youngblood says, “so it is energy-saving, aesthetically pleasing, and also provides thermal benefits.”

The heart of the coating is a 12 nm layer of a phase-change material, Ge20Te80, which can switch reversibly from a crystalline to an amorphous state when heated to 280–450 °C. As a proof-of-concept, the researchers deposited the coating on 25.8 cm2 samples of glass. For commercial, double-pane windows, they propose putting it on the outside-facing side of the interior pane of glass.

Using transparent heating wires integrated on the glass sample, they showed that the glaze could be switched to the amorphous state, which reflects the sun’s near-IR energy. In the crystalline state, the coating absorbs the energy, which is transferred to the silica glass window and radiated into the building as heat. The transparency changes by only 10% between the two states.

The coating’s performance depends on the amount of near-IR solar energy it can harvest or reflect, so the researchers also modeled how much energy the window would save when used in nine different geographical areas around the globe. Compared with commercially available double-pane windows, the glazed windows cut energy use by 8–25%, working better in sunnier climates. Those calculations took into account the energy required to control the phase-change material’s state.

Still, Youngblood admits “the material is not ready for primetime yet” because of the high temperatures it needs. The material can also be controlled using electrical pulses, but that would take a lot of power for large windows, he says. “Future work would be to reduce the amount of heat it takes to switch between states” by doping the materials to reduce switching temperature, he adds.

The glaze’s ability to convert IR radiation to heat without affecting transparency is “a much-coveted feature,” says Juejun Hu, a materials scientist and engineer at MIT. The technology would be even more promising if the researchers could further improve visible transmission with improved material and layer designs, he says. “I would like to see the technology being scaled to actual windows.”

https://www.civilengineering.ai/switchable-smart-window-coating-can-heat-or-cool-a-room-2/

LIC tower is the tallest building in New York City with Smart Windows

February 18, 2022

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LIC tower is the tallest building in New York City with Smart Windows | amNewYorkView, Inc. (View), the foremost innovators in smart building technology, has made history by having their Smart Windows installed at the Durst Organization’s

View, Inc. (View), the foremost innovators in smart building technology, has made history by having their Smart Windows installed at the Durst Organization’s 71-story, 755 foot skyscraper, the Sven, in Long Island City — making it the tallest residential building in North America to feature smart windows.

“View glass reduces energy use and provides access to natural light and unobstructed views,” said Durst. “It epitomizes Sven’s approach to sustainability by simultaneously using energy and our natural resources efficiently and creating a place where people are healthy, productive and happy.”

The Smart Windows are a reinvention that will change the future of the real estate industry, said the View team, referring to the significant advantages that the Smart Windows have on homes when compared to the heat-strengthened glass typically chosen by developers. The Smart Windows differ from common glass in that they utilize artificial intelligence to remotely adapt to heat and glare, completely eliminating the need for blinds, minimizing energy intake from all home mechanical systems (such as HVAC) “by as much as 20 percent,” according to View, while also providing substantial health benefits to their users.

According to View analysts, a recent study discovered that individuals living in buildings with View Smart Windows “slept 16 minutes longer and experienced 11% less anxiety” than those living in homes with standard windows and blinds.

“View is on a mission to transform all buildings into smart, healthy, and sustainable occupant experiences,” said, CEO of View, Dr. Rao Mulpuri. “We are gaining significant traction in the multi-family sector and are thrilled to partner with Durst to bring the game-changing benefits of our technology to residents of Sven.”

The Durst Organization (Durst) is one of the country’s leading real estate developers, owners and managers, with about 13 million square feet of office space and three million square feet of residential space. Durst heavily prioritizes environmental sustainability when constructing their buildings, according to their website, which is why they weave “residential wellness” into the Sven building’s design and management, as seen by their water-efficient fixtures and all of the building’s mechanical systems set to reduce energy consumption, further limiting Sven’s C02 emissions. Durst installed the View Smart Windows as another layer of their sustainability mission, according to the Durst Organization, due to the Window’s enhanced energy efficiency, natural light optimization, and its source for continuous outdoor views.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/lic-tower-is-the-tallest-building-in-new-york-city-with-smart-windows/

How digital tech is tackling construction’s biggest challenges

February 18, 2022

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How digital tech is tackling construction’s biggest challengesFrom sustainability to shorter timelines, Mercury Engineering’s Sean Dowd discusses how the construction industry is rising to the challenge.

The growth of technology means a whole new world of construction. From data centres to semiconductor facilities, building these complex engineering projects requires specific skillsets along with cutting-edge technology.

Something that increasingly goes hand in hand with these construction projects is building information modelling (BIM), which is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a particular facility.

One company using BIM to carry out its construction of data centres and other facilities is Mercury Engineering, a European contractor founded in Dublin in 1972. The company operates in a wide range of areas including enterprise data centres, advanced technology, life sciences and facility management.

‘Clients want projects to be completed as quickly as possible, to the highest standard possible’
– SEAN DOWD

Sean Dowd, the company’s group BIM manager, told SiliconRepublic.com about the work that Mercury Engineering does.

“We utilise the most innovative and cutting-edge digital technologies. This enables more efficient design and construction to support the organisational growth of our clients,” he said.

“We pride ourselves at being at the edge of new technology and were one of the first contractors to implement HP’s new ZCentral 4R solution.”

Mercury Engineering has a partnership with HP, which provides it with tools, resources and support to give it an edge in the digital construction space.

“To best serve clients, a robust training strategy and plan is required along with the best facilities and equipment, and HP Inc has been a strategic partner in providing tools and solutions that help us to promote our core values,” said Dowd.

“Centralising device and resource management through the cloud allows Mercury to upscale on projects instantly while managing resources efficiently. High-powered, full-spec laptops used in the design and render process are now available 24/7 globally, reducing downtime and increasing project efficiency and turnaround.”

To further tap into digital construction, Mercury Engineering created its ‘digital core’ in Maynooth, a centralised hub containing two BIM modelling floors and a VR lab.

“Technology is how we future-proof our business and HP solutions create efficiencies that are fundamental to this,” said Dowd. “Centrally managed resources reduce hardware and scalable solutions have created cost efficiencies, while optimising workflow.”

Challenges in construction

When it comes to building new facilities and refurbishing existing sites, Dowd said one of the biggest challenges is how short the timelines are becoming for projects.

“Clients want projects to be completed as quickly as possible, to the highest standard possible, so that they can start making a return on their investment. This drives significant schedule pressure,” he said.

“With the BIM team placed at the front of each project, it is imperative that we can be mobilised quickly.”

As well as shorter timelines, sustainability is an ongoing challenge that all sectors have to face, and the construction industry is no exception.

However, Dowd said Mercury is currently developing design and construction workflows that allow for environmental impact benefits through the use of project building information models.

“Using the 3D digital construction model, we can calculate improvements on the project’s construction carbon footprint by modifying material quantities, specifications and suppliers (shipping distance) to reduce the carbon footprint and long-term sustainability of projects,” he said.

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https://www.civilengineering.ai/how-digital-tech-is-tackling-constructions-biggest-challenges/

Las Vegas and Digital Twins – A Blueprint for a Clean City?

February 18, 2022

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Las Vegas and Digital Twins – A Blueprint for a Clean City?Is Las Vegas a blueprint for a clean city? A seven sq km area of downtown Las Vegas is being used to demonstrate a net-zero carbon emissions future.

02 February 2022

You would be forgiven for not immediately thinking of Las Vegas when it comes to urban hubs of sustainability, but an ambitious efficiency project is underway in the US city.

What is The Las Vegas Digital Twin project?

As part of Cityzenith’s “Clean Cities - Clean Future”, a program designed to help drive down urban emissions, a seven sq km area of downtown Las Vegas is being used to demonstrate a net-zero carbon emissions future.

The Las Vegas Digital Twin project will leverage the city’s advanced 5G networking and IoT sensor network to analyse air quality, noise pollution, water management, and emissions from major buildings.

The base twin is now completed, and soon, stakeholders from across Las Vegas will be invited to join the project, including real estate owners, government agencies, university researchers, data partners, architects, and casino operators.

Alongside Cityzenith, project partner Terbine brings together and contextualizes IoT data from local government agencies, building operators, transportation systems, vehicle manufacturers and more, to provide the high volumes of sensor information needed by the urban Digital Twin.

Cityzenith’s Digital Twin platform, SmartWorld, manages and reports emissions performance and analytics across assets in real-time to ensure on-going operational metrics and compliance goals are maintained.

The company’s “Clean Cities – Clean Future” initiative has projects underway in major US cities, including Los Angeles and Phoenix, with more than a dozen major cities and building owners in queue to follow soon.

Cityzenith CEO and Founder Michael Jansen said: “We are honoured to be working with the City of Las Vegas, providing the market’s only end-to-end decarbonization solution for buildings in cities, to ensure Las Vegas’ buildings achieve net-zero emissions in the years to come quickly or without risk.”

Terbine CEO and Founder David Knight said: "Transitioning our home city into a clean, sustainable, and more attractive place to live and visit is a fantastic opportunity, and we’re delighted with our progress so far on this project. What we’re building here represents a model for how other cities can enable sustainability and a better quality of life for their citizens."

What is a Digital Twin?

Digital twins act as a testing environment, to gain data on a building’s operational performance and sustainability. It allows facilities managers and building owners to gather insightful data about the inner workings of a building, with the aim of saving construction and operational costs.

It can help with planning and forecasting, with everything from waste management to occupancy

According to Forbes, 500 major world cities will rely on digital twins for daily operations by 2026.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/las-vegas-and-digital-twins-a-blueprint-for-a-clean-city/

Preventative Maintenance Solutions: New Innovative Products for Smart Home and Building and Workplace Safety

February 18, 2022

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Preventative Maintenance Solutions: New Innovative Products for Smart Home and Building and Workplace SafetySince its inception in 1933, Omron has become one of the leading innovators in design and manufacturing across a wide range of industries.…

Since its inception in 1933, Omron has become one of the leading innovators in design and manufacturing across a wide range of industries. From factory automation to healthcare, Omron’s skilled engineers have been hard at work developing new and improved products to suit the needs of nearly any developer. One of the fastest growing industries in terms of innovation is Smart Home and Building (SHB). As the world continues to adapt to global changes in how to operate day-to-day in the home and the office, as well as the ever-changing workforce, there has been an increased focus in products that can help automate regular maintenance and prevent workflow interruptions. Omron has plans underway for three key products that can assist with a variety of issues that may interrupt workflow and compromise worker safety, in a project called Irregular Event Zero.

Motor Condition Monitoring Device

One product currently under development is a Motor Condition Monitoring Device, designed with large machinery in mind, particularly within the HVAC, Elevator, and Industrial building marketplace. Under normal operating conditions, machines will wear over time with regular use, or can be damaged in the event of some irregular activity such as a storm or power outage. Oftentimes, this wear can go unnoticed by regular operators, or may not be detected until machines go under some form of routine inspection, which may not take place for several months. Too long, and the wear may trigger a severe breakdown that can interrupt workflow and cause a dangerous scenario for workers and other nearby persons.

In addition, the Motor Condition Monitoring Device is intended to be a cost-effective solution to help detect machine irregularities before disaster takes place. Consequently, this can help ensure worker safety, and prevent workflow from being interrupted and/or redirected from key operations. The device can detect subtle vibration changes from normal operation, and can send Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) signals to workers to quickly alert them in the event of operation irregularity. The device will also have advantages in being easy to install vs other similar products currently existing for reading motor condition.

In-Helmet Environment Sensor

Using similar technology to Omron’s current environment sensor, in the 2JCIE part series, engineers are developing an in-helmet module designed for workers in the field in remote locations. Some workers may be subject to harsh weather conditions, and not close to proper transport and care in the event of an emergency. The in-helmet module will be designed to read for key environment conditions such as temperature, humidity, and vibration (such as in the event of a fall), and alert the user via BLE if conditions become too harsh. The sensor can also be linked to a larger network, so that a central office may also be able to see if workers’ conditions are too dangerous, or if a worker may have fallen.

Full Room Monitoring Device

Lastly, Omron is looking to combine many of its existing technologies into a full room monitoring device best fit for monitoring areas with sensitive equipment, such as server rooms or storage facilities with sensitive equipment. The sensors combined would be able to detect temperature, humidity, moisture, electronic discharge, and human activity to ensure safety for equipment and workers alike. The sensors will not only be able to keep equipment safe, but also allow for ensuring that there is no unexpected human activity within these areas.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/preventative-maintenance-solutions-new-innovative-products-for-smart-home-and-building-and-workplace-safety/

This contactless system combines embedded ML and sensors to improve elevator safety

February 18, 2022

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This contactless system combines embedded ML and sensors to improve elevator safetyArduino Team — January 29th, 2022 As an entry into the 5th IEEE National Level Project Competition, Anway Pimpalkar and his team wanted to design a system that could help improve safety and usability within elevators by detecting if a human

As an entry into the 5th IEEE National Level Project Competition, Anway Pimpalkar and his team wanted to design a system that could help improve safety and usability within elevators by detecting if a human is present, the floor they wish to travel towards, and automatically go to the ground floor in the event of a fire.

For determining when a person is standing within the elevator’s cabin, Pimpalkar used a Nano 33 BLE Sense and an OV7675 camera module that take advantage of embedded machine learning for facial detection. From there, the Nano will notify the user via a blinking LED that it is ready to accept a verbal command for the floor number and will transport the user when processed. Perhaps most importantly, an MQ-2 smoke sensor and LM-35 temperature sensor were added to the custom PCB. These two pieces of hardware are responsible for sensing if there is a fire nearby and subsequently activating an alarm and then moving the cabin to the ground floor if needed.

Altogether, this project is a great showcase of how powerful tinyML can be when it comes to both safety and accessibility. To read more about the system, you can check out Pimpalkar’s GitHub repository here.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/this-contactless-system-combines-embedded-ml-and-sensors-to-improve-elevator-safety/

View Smart Windows to be Featured in Seattle-Area Skanska Office Project

February 17, 2022

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View Smart Windows to be Featured in Seattle-Area Skanska Office ProjectMILPITAS, Calif. and BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- View, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIEW) (“View”), the leader in smart building technologies, has been selected by global construction and development

MILPITAS, Calif. and BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- View, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIEW) (“View”), the leader in smart building technologies, has been selected by global construction and development leader Skanska to be featured in The Eight, a Class-A high-rise office tower and one of the first buildings in the Bellevue Central Business District to feature smart windows.

Built, developed, and owned by Skanska USA Commercial Development, The Eight is a 25-story, 541,000 square-foot commercial office tower featuring retail spaces, a public plaza, and numerous exterior balconies. View Smart Windows will be part of a suite of tenant-focused amenities, including a dedicated floor for tenant events, a health and wellness center, electric vehicle and e-bike charging, and more. The windows will provide continuous views of Lake Washington and downtown Bellevue, while also reducing energy consumption at The Eight.

View Smart Windows use artificial intelligence to automatically adjust in response to outdoor conditions, controlling heat and glare and eliminating the need for blinds. The windows measurably improve the health and well-being of building occupants. A recent study found that people working in rooms with View Smart Windows experienced half as many headaches, slept 37 minutes longer each night, and performed 42% better on cognitive tests compared to those working in rooms with standard windows and blinds.

“The greater Seattle office sector is booming, and in a post-COVID market, amenities focused on tenant wellness will be more important than ever,” said Murphy McCullough, EVP and Regional Manager with Skanska. “Our investment in View Smart Windows furthers Skanska’s commitment to innovation and to enhancing the sustainability of the built environment.”

Skanska and View have maintained an ongoing, multi-year relationship — largely through office projects where Skanska USA Building served as a general contractor. Skanska has overseen the construction of numerous buildings that feature View Smart Windows, including 1155 Avenue of the Americas, a renovated Class-A office building in midtown Manhattan owned by the Durst Organization, and global biotechnology company Regeneron’s headquarters in Sleepy Hollow, New York.

“Skanska has long recognized that buildings of the future will be smart, healthy, and sustainable," added Dr. Rao Mulpuri, CEO of View. “Our deepening partnership reflects our shared ambition to transform how buildings are designed and experienced.”

Pickard Chilton served as the lead architect for The Eight, which broke ground in June 2021.

About View View is the leader in smart building technologies that transform buildings to improve human health and experience, reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, and generate additional revenue for building owners. View Smart Windows use artificial intelligence to automatically adjust in response to the sun, eliminating the need for blinds and increasing access to natural light, while improving thermal comfort. Every View installation includes a cloud-connected smart building platform that can easily be extended to improve indoor cellular coverage, enhance building security, and reimagine the occupant experience. View is installed and designed into more than 90 million square feet of buildings including offices, hospitals, airports, educational facilities, hotels, and multi-family residences. For more information, please visit: www.view.com.

About Skanska Skanska is one of the world’s leading development and construction companies. Skanska’s core operations in the U.S. include developing self-financed commercial properties, building construction, and civil infrastructure. An industry-leading innovator in both safety and project execution, Skanska offers competitive solutions for traditional and complex assignments that build a more sustainable future for our customers and communities. Skanska’s U.S. commercial development operations has invested a total of $3.2 billion in commercial and multi-family projects, creating more than 10 million-square feet of sustainable and community focused developments in select U.S. markets. In 2020, Construction operations in the U.S. generated $6.5 billion in revenue. With U.S. headquarters in New York City, Skanska has 30 offices with 7,600 employees nationwide. Global revenue of parent company Skanska AB, headquartered in Stockholm and listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange, totaled approximately $17.2 billion in 2020.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/view-smart-windows-to-be-featured-in-seattle-area-skanska-office-project-2/

SMART KEYPADS: A MUST FOR HOME AUTOMATION

February 17, 2022

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Smart Keypads: A Must for Home AutomationSmart Keypads are the must have for home automation. Our new line of wireless smart keypads can control any appliance or device in your home. Choose the best home automation system in India based on your needs.

Homes these days have multiple types of lights – cove lights, chandeliers, wall décor lights, party lights and within these there is the added choice of dimmable lights, tunable lights, LED color strip lights and more. In addition to this lighting variety, there are other diverse comfort elements in a room. These are devices such as Fans, Air Conditioners , Curtains, Blinds, projectors, TVs and more. These various items in the home are rarely used one at a time, but rather they are turned on in some group combinations that suit the occupants requirement. These combinations are called ‘scenes’ or ‘profiles’ because they create the necessary ambience that the occupant wishes to experience.

Many home owners are adopting Home Automation solutions. Most Home Automation solutions allow users to create such ‘profiles’ or ‘scenes’ on their Smart Apps. Users can typically choose the various lighting, fans, AC, curtains and other combinations for each ‘profile’ and they can also change these profiles as their tastes or circumstances change. There can be profiles for when one wakes up in the morning (e.g ‘Good Morning’ profile) and another for when going to sleep. Similarly they may be for events, like when leaving the home (‘Good Bye’ profile) or when watching a movie (‘Cinema’ profile) and so forth.

While many Home Automation solutions allow the convenience of using profiles via Smart App or voice assistants like Alexa/Google, they do not offer physical ‘switch-like’ device on the walls that could trigger these same ‘profiles’. The introduction of ‘Keypads’ as a part of the Home Automation solution has changed that. Keypads now offers home automation users with tremendous flexibility to execute such ‘scenes’ or ‘profiles’ without needing to resort to a Smart App or Voice commands. BuildTrack’s keypads are designed to be identical to the Smart Touch Switches and can blend in within the switches. In fact they can also be part of a switch panel or independently on their own panel.

The advantages of the keypads are many,

- A keypad has a small footprint and does not occupy the space that multiple switches might take up on any wall. It can be used as an alternative to switches when home automation is deployed.

- BuildTrack keypads are unique in their ability to control not just lighting, but also curtains, blinds, ACs, Fans, TVs, Projector mounts and more. Most other keypads in the market can only handle lighting scenes.

- BuildTrack keypads are mapped to profiles that are defined on the Smart App, and since the Smart App profiles can be edited to add, remove or change specific devices (e.g. add/remove lights or change dimming levels or change desired AC temp settings) the keypads effectively serve as customizable switches.

- BuildTrack keypads support multi-way operation, i.e. they are 2-way, 3-way and more. If the same profile is set on multiple keypads across the home, then triggering one will show you the correct status on all

- Even if a home only choses BuildTrack Keypads instead of switches, BuildTrack still allows control of individual devices as switches on the Smart App.

- Keypads are available in wired and wireless formats. The wireless formats do not require any change to existing wiring.

- BuildTrack Keypads can co-exist with smart touch switches on the same switch panel, creating tremendous flexibility.

If you are interested in home automation, then take a look at BuildTrack smart keypads and smart touch switches for your home.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/smart-keypads-a-must-for-home-automation/

AI Traffic Light That Improves Traffic Flow By Up To 15% In Simulation Will Now Be Used In Real Life

February 16, 2022

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AI Traffic Light That Improves Traffic Flow By Up To 15% In Simulation Will Now Be Used In Real Life | CarscoopsThe lights use high-def cameras and radar sensors to learn traffic patterns and adjust signals appropriately

The town of Lemgo in Germany is about to become a real-life laboratory for a project that aims to improve traffic flow as it will become the first place on earth to test “deep reinforcement learning” for traffic lights that have improved traffic flow by 10-15 percent in simulations.

A team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Optronics, along with a number of research partners, has installed high-resolution cameras and radar sensors to more accurately understand the traffic situation at an intersection in Lemgo. With that data, it has been running artificial intelligence simulations to develop more optimized signal patterns to help traffic flow more smoothly.

In simulations, this new traffic light control system has replaced the rule-based controls that can only take minimal data points into account. And the results have been good enough to encourage the team and the city to now try the AI at the intersection in real life

https://www.civilengineering.ai/ai-traffic-light-that-improves-traffic-flow-by-up-to-15-in-simulation-will-now-be-used-in-real-life/

8 trends shaping cities in 2022

February 16, 2022

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8 trends shaping cities in 2022

The pandemic, public safety, the climate crisis and rising inequality are among the top 2022 challenges confronting cities.

By Cailin Crowe, Danielle McLean, Maria Rachal, Dan Zukowski and Jason Plautz

Editor's note: This story is part of a series on the trends that will shape the smart cities industry in 2022.

Here’s the good news: With federal relief funds and the $1 trillion infrastructure legislation that passed last year, cities will have new resources to tackle challenges such as making public transportation more equitable and accommodating growing numbers of electric vehicles hitting the streets. If the Build Back Better bill becomes law, additional financial resources could help cities reduce greenhouse emissions and continue to grow the momentum around decarbonizing their building stocks.

The bad news is that many serious issues cities have been facing in the past two years remain or have gotten worse. City leaders are grappling with the rising cost of housing, which has left many financially insecure. They are adapting to worsening and more frequent extreme weather events such as record-breaking heat, wildfires, winter storms and hurricanes. They are looking for new workers who can fill the many vacant public transportation jobs. And they are addressing rising crime rates amid calls for policing reform.

With the input of experts and researchers, Smart Cities Dive dug into these topics to look at how eight of the biggest trends facing cities will play out in 2022.

Crime and policing will continue to be top of mind for local leaders
From Philadelphia to Tucson, Arizona, over two-thirds of the country’s 40 most populous cities experienced higher rates of homicide in 2021 compared with the year prior, in many cases surpassing or nearly reaching record highs, according to CNN. As a result, public safety will likely remain a top priority for local leaders in 2022.

Crime and policing were key issues in many high-profile mayoral elections last November. Some of the winners promised to increase police presence in cities to mitigate crime, a stark contrast to the nationwide calls just a year prior to defund police departments.

Meanwhile, other local leaders and their constituents continue to advocate for and implement various police reforms, particularly pushing for stronger police oversight as some cities respond to the spike in crime by increasing police budgets.

Transit agencies will continue to focus on equity
The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the national racial awakening over the past two years, brought equity issues to the fore in public transportation, where high fares and cutbacks in service have disproportionately affected low-income communities and communities of color.

Some transit systems reduced or eliminated fares for all riders or only for specific groups, such as seniors or low-income individuals. Buses in Kansas City, Worcester, Massachusetts, Richmond, Virginia, and Raleigh, North Carolina, are free to ride, and Boston’s new mayor wants to move in that direction.

However, transit ridership remains depressed as waves of COVID variants continue to upset once-normal work and personal travel patterns. That puts a strain on revenues for transit providers, potentially limiting an agency's ability to continue low or zero-fare programs.

Expect public transportation agencies to begin tapping the $89.9 billion in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds for public transit this year to buy more zero-emission buses, add dedicated bus lanes and upgrade bus shelters and train stations. Transit agencies in New York City, Los Angeles and Boston are also reorganizing their bus networks to provide more and better service to the communities that rely most on transit.

Agencies will continue working to engage local communities during the planning process for major construction projects, changes in service and new initiatives. New York and Atlanta are among those holding virtual public meetings and conducting other outreach to get input on their plans.

At the federal level, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $1 billion in discretionary grants to 90 projects in 47 states through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. Among other criteria, the RAISE program emphasizes projects that create good-paying jobs, address climate change and advance racial equity.

Smart city leaders will continue to collaborate across regions and organizations
The trend of regional smart city consortiums and their private partners joining forces will likely continue in the year ahead as smart city leaders seek to learn from each other and make more data-informed decisions while also leveraging new federal dollars.

Last fall, seven regional consortiums formed the National Smart Coalitions Partnership, one of the largest smart cities networks in the U.S., which now represents over 100 local governments.

That national partnership formed on the heels of the creation of a new lobbying group, The Coalition for Urban Innovation, which includes key industry groups and companies like the Smart Cities Council, Replica, and Via Transportation. As coalition advisory board member, urbanist and University of Toronto professor Richard Florida explained in an earlier email interview, federal investments in urban policy and innovation are fragmented across a host of cabinet agencies, thus better coordination could make those investments more efficient and impactful.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/8-trends-shaping-cities-in-2022/

Building smart cities and counties with the Infrastructure Act

February 14, 2022

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Building smart cities and counties with the Infrastructure ActThe “smart city” concept has been adopted by cities and counties globally. While the term is inexact, a typical vision is of an IT-enabled environment that

The “smart city” concept has been adopted by cities and counties globally. While the term is inexact, a typical vision is of an IT-enabled environment that efficiently and effectively delivers public services; enables informed, proactive decision-making by the leadership; and promotes sustainability through better resource utilization.

To deliver on this vision, smart cities require a massive deployment of information and communications technologies (ICT), including wired and wireless technologies. Included in this ICT array would be a multitude of networks and sensors in an Internet of Things (IoT) framework that permeates all sectors of modern life. Applications include smart electric grids, intelligent transportation systems, integrated monitoring systems and decision-support systems, to name the most prominent.

While a true end-to-end “smart city” with all these applications does not yet exist, many cities across the globe, such as Helsinki, Singapore and Seoul, have made significant progress in delivering on the promise. Many others, such as Ho Chi Minh City and the Iskandar Region in Malaysia, are in the advanced planning stages. Unfortunately, while a handful of U.S. cities have implemented some isolated solutions, progress in the United States on a broader smart city deployment significantly lags the international players.

On the bright side, the recently passed and soon-to-be executed Infrastructure Act has great promise to promote smart cities and counties throughout the United States. Indeed, many of the Act’s provisions have a direct connection to smart city requirements:

- Broadband- Community Networks, for a connected populace ($45 billion)

- Middle-mile broadband networks for connected institutions ($1 billion)

- Transportation- Roads and bridges ($110 billion)

- Public transit ($39 billion) and rail ($66 billion)

- Airports ($25 billion) and ports ($17 billion)

- Zero- and low-emission buses and ferries ($7.5 billion)

- EV chargers ($7.5 billion)

- Electric grid, including smart, sustainable power ($65 billion)

- Water projects, including infrastructure, flood management, resiliency, and watershed restoration ($>100 billion)

Additional funding is available from Recovery Act funds. This is a smart-city planner’s dream come true, as a lack of funding to cover the start-up costs of building smart-city solutions has been one of the major impediments to progress. Looking at the Act’s funding provisions, one can certainly envision how cities and counties can make significant progress in their smart city visions based, for the most part, on a foundation built by these building blocks.

However, to move towards this end state, it will be necessary to align numerous initiatives funded via different sections of the bill. Unfortunately, the Act maintains the legacy silos and assigns multiple federal agencies to manage parts of the Act with funds distributed to the states for execution by states and localities. As such, the potential for wasteful, uncoordinated spending is very real.

Surely the way to get the most out of these funds is to find ways that different programs can support each other – after all, building blocks work best when connected. This is particularly crucial in progressing the smart city/county concept and putting America into leadership.

While Congress did its part in funding these programs, it is up to the executives in federal, state and local governments to implement them. In determining how these disparate grant programs are managed, the Administration has the opportunity, if not the responsibility, to maximize the value received from these funds by breaking down the legacy silos.

There are several actions the Biden Administration can take to forward this stance, but two seem to stand out for their relative ease of execution and potential to deliver results:

- President Joe Biden’s appointment of Mitch Landrieu to coordinate the Act’s execution has been well-received. Landrieu has the opportunity to identify overarching goals, such as smart cities, which could benefit from a cross-cutting approach that leverages multiple siloes.

- The Administration could also, where appropriate, define requirements for applicants to identify how they would align grant funding to forward these overarching goals to maximize the societal benefits of these funds. Grant applications that promote siloed solutions would be denied or sent back for revision.

- Additionally, the states themselves can take action. At the minimum, they should heed Landrieu’s call to appoint state implementation coordinators. City- and county-level coordinators should also be appointed.

The benefits of this approach could be used in non-urban areas as well. Deployment of precision agriculture, for example, would also be best served by a coordinated approach. The results would drive economic benefits for the heartland while increasing productivity and sustainability, as well as enhancing food security for both U.S. and international consumers.

As the White House itself has said, the Act’s funding is truly a once-in-generation opportunity to drive significant progress in areas where the nation lags behind. As history shows, without an integrated and coordinated approach to dispersing these funds, much of the money will end up being spent in siloed projects with little to no benefit to broader societal goals. As difficult as it was to get the Act passed, the Administration must remain engaged to avoid that outcome.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/building-smart-cities-and-counties-with-the-infrastructure-act/

Digital Twin platform nabs $6 million to expand platform in North America, APAC and Europe

February 14, 2022

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Digital Twin platform nabs $6 million to expand platform in North America, APAC and EuropeThe premier source of European technology news, data, research, analysis and in-depth market intelligence.

French and U.S. startup offering cloud-based reality data solutions, Cintoo has raised $6 million. The Series A funding was co-led by AMAVI Capital and Armilar Venture Partners and saw the participation of Accenture Ventures and Cintoo's prior investors, UI Investissement and Region Sud Investissement.

The investment will be leveraged to expand Cintoo Cloud's capabilities to meet the needs of Industry 4.0, building information modelling (BIM) and construction customers. The investment will also help the platform to expand its business in North America, Europe and APAC.

Founded in 2013 by Anis Meftah, Denis Thibaudin, Dominique Pouliquen, Leonardo H.Fonteles and Marc Antonini, the startup aims to find a solution for managing terabytes of Reality Capture data in the cloud for Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Industry 4.0 businesses. The company launched its SaaS platform, Cintoo Cloud, in 2019, which uses its patent-pending, core point cloud-to-mesh engine to stream huge 3D data using any PC, laptop or tablet with a web browser.

Dominique Pouliquen, Cintoo's CEO, said: "Our mission is to become the world leader in cloud-based solutions to empower Reality Data on-demand and we've made significant in-roads since we launched Cintoo Cloud in early 2019.

Frédéric Van den Weghe, Managing Partner at AMAVI Capital said: “For industry 4.0 applications, it is the platform where digital twin data comes together and is enriched with IoT and AI data to become the dashboard of the factories of the future. Its blue chip customers base, including a.o. leading car manufacturers and engineering firms, and more than 20,000 active users on the platform are a clear sign of the value add the Cintoo product brings."

Pedro Ribeiro Santos, Partner at Armilar Venture Partners said: “Cintoo’s technology makes data accessible to anyone and open the doors to new uses of that data.”

Cintoo Cloud is currently used by over 20,000 users in building information modeling (BIM), construction and Industry 4.0 organisations across the U.S., Canada, Europe and APAC as a unique source of trustful Reality Data.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/digital-twin-platform-nabs-6-million-to-expand-platform-in-north-america-apac-and-europe/

SMART ROOF COATING KEEPS HOUSES WARM IN WINTER, COOL IN SUMMER

February 14, 2022

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Smart roof coating keeps houses warm in winter, cool in summerScientists have developed an all-season smart-roof coating that keeps homes warm during the winter and cool during the summer without consuming natural

Scientists have developed an all-season smart-roof coating that keeps homes warm during the winter and cool during the summer without consuming natural gas or electricity.

Research findings reported in the journal Science point to a groundbreaking technology that outperforms commercial cool-roof systems in energy savings.

“Our all-season roof coating automatically switches from keeping you cool to warm, depending on outdoor air temperature. This is energy-free, emission-free air conditioning and heating, all in one device,” said Junqiao Wu, a faculty scientist in Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division and a UC Berkeley professor of materials science and engineering who led the study.

Today’s cool roof systems, such as reflective coatings, membranes, shingles, or tiles, have light-colored or darker “cool-colored” surfaces that cool homes by reflecting sunlight. These systems also emit some of the absorbed solar heat as thermal-infrared radiation; in this natural process known as radiative cooling, thermal-infrared light is radiated away from the surface.

The problem with many cool-roof systems currently on the market is that they continue to radiate heat in the winter, which drives up heating costs, Wu explained.

“Our new material — called a temperature-adaptive radiative coating or TARC — can enable energy savings by automatically turning off the radiative cooling in the winter, overcoming the problem of overcooling,” he said.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/smart-roof-coating-keeps-houses-warm-in-winter-cool-in-summer/

Using data’s ‘invisible’ influence to build smart wastewater networks

February 14, 2022

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Using data’s ‘invisible’ influence to build smart wastewater networks - Utility WeekIsle Utilities’ Chris Thomas outlines the roles of technology and data in building successful wastewater asset management strategies and the creation of ‘smart’ networks.

Discussing the digitalisation of networks to achieve pre-emptive asset maintenance and preventing the need for major intervention at the Utility Week Innovate WWT Wastewater 2022 Conference, Isle Utilities’ head of enterprise and innovation, Chris Thomas, highlighted that wastewater lagged behind other sectors – such as gas and networks – in implementing new digital systems.

He caveated, however, that this afforded the industry unique insight into the dos and don’ts from the digitalisation process, with one of his main observations being that, far from a technical challenge, the smooth creation of “smart” networks revolves around organisational improvements.

Smart network building blocks

Breaking down the creation of a smart wastewater network into five simplified components – applications, communications, sensors, data and the business process – Thomas said that the latter two were the most significant hurdles in his view.

He explained that, from a technical standpoint, a wealth of application and sensor software and technology was readily available to tee up smart networks, while options such as 5G networks and radio spectrum to communicate are already widespread.

Yet in terms of the business process behind creating smart networks, he outlined four-phases of analytical maturity – describe, diagnose, predict and prescribe – and emphasised the importance of spending more time focusing on the often neglected early phases.

Thomas explained that when deploying solutions at scale “being dependable is more important than being clever” – meaning that rather than kickstarting a project based on prediction, spending time to describe and diagnose challenges as a foundation for project work was paramount.

He summarised that at the heart of effective digitalisation was “good operational reporting and integration with business processes before clever predictive activity” – or doing “the boring stuff” at scale bolstered by robust data architecture.

This spans reliable KPI reporting, automated checks, balances and processes across a business and detailed performance management of data and people.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/using-datas-invisible-influence-to-build-smart-wastewater-networks/

Harnessing machine learning to improve site safety

February 14, 2022

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Harnessing machine learning to improve site safety

An Innovate UK-funded project aims to enhance site safety by using machine learning technologies to identify hazards in real-time and send alerts.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/harnessing-machine-learning-to-improve-site-safety/

ITC launches "Abu Dhabi Link" on-demand bus service on Saadiyat Island

February 14, 2022

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ITC launches “Abu Dhabi Link” on-demand bus service on Saadiyat Island237,000 passenger trips were conducted since the launch of the service

237,000 passenger trips were conducted since the launch of the service

Press Release

Abu Dhabi — The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi announced that it will launch “Abu Dhabi Link” on-demand bus service on Saadiyat Island on Friday, January 28, 2022. The service can be requested through the Abu Dhabi Link mobile application. This is a step that reinforces the principle of sustainable transport, as it provides a safe and comfortable first- and last-mile travel for public transport users.

Abu Dhabi Link on Saadiyat Island will be a free service in the first phase and it will be available daily from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. The service will serve the following areas: Hidd Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Beach Villas, Saadiyat Beach Residences, Jumeirah Resort - Saadiyat Island, Saadiyat Beach Club, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Saadiyat hotel areas, Saadiyat Cultural District, Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum and Mamsha Al Saadiyat.

What is the On-Demand Bus Service:

The concept of "On-demand Bus Service" is to provide a bus only upon request from members of the community, to travel within the community or transfer to other modes of public transport at the transport hub within the community. The service will reduce unnecessary roaming of public buses, and it will reduce walking and waiting times of bus users significantly.

To access the service, passengers need to download the "Abu Dhabi Link" application, available in Apple Store and Google Play. The user will then indicate his/her pick-up and drop-off locations and select a pick-up time. The application will provide the user with details about the bus including its type and plate number, and the user will be able to track the location of the bus in real time using the application.

The ITC highlighted that the Abu Dhabi Link service had enhanced the diversity of the public bus network and supports ITC’s efforts to expand the outreach of the public bus service to members of the community.

Intelligent Transport Facilitates Transport Between Cultural and Tourist Attractions

Launching Abu Dhabi Link on Saadiyat Island will provide residents and visitors to Abu Dhabi with the opportunity to travel seamlessly between the various residential areas and points-of-interest across Saadiyat Island. It will serve to enhance Saadiyat Island’s position as a global destination for tourism, recreation, culture, and entertainment. It also supports the efforts of the ITC to establish an integrated and sustainable transport system that facilitates the movement of residents and improves the quality of life in the emirate.

Great Turnout for the Service

The "On-demand Bus Service" comes to Saadiyat Island after it has achieved great success since its launch in Al Shahama in late 2020, followed by Yas Island in Year 2021. The total number of passenger trips that have benefited from the service since its launch had reached 237,000, and 31,000 downloads of the application had been made.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/itc-launches-abu-dhabi-link-on-demand-bus-service-on-saadiyat-island/

Chicago’s buildings notch up 25 per cent reduction in emissions

February 12, 2022

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Chicago’s buildings notch up 25 per cent reduction in emissionsAchievement is revealed in the 2020 Chicago Energy Benchmarking Report, which details an analysis of nearly 2,900 properties spanning over 720 million square feet across the city.

Achievement is revealed in the 2020 Chicago Energy Benchmarking Report, which details an analysis of nearly 2,900 properties spanning over 720 million square feet across the city.

The 2020 Chicago Energy Benchmarking Report reveals a 25 per cent reduction in carbon emissions per square foot in properties over 50,000 square feet and a rapid decline in energy use since 2016.

The benchmarking report details an analysis of nearly 2,900 properties spanning over 720 million square feet across the city.

Benchmarking ordinance

The Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance was passed by city council in 2013 to unlock energy and cost savings opportunities in buildings over 50,000 square feet. By raising awareness of energy performance through information and transparency, building owners and tenants across Chicago are enabled to make better decisions about how energy is used to power buildings.

“The report raises critical awareness about energy performance and empowers our city’s building owners and tenants to make efficient energy choices,” said mayor Lori Lightfoot. “By reducing our energy consumption in buildings, we will not only be one step closer toward creating a greener Chicago, but also toward fulfilling the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.”

“The report raises critical awareness about energy performance and empowers our city’s building owners and tenants to make efficient energy choices”

The Chicago Energy Rating System was successfully rolled out in 2019 to increase awareness of energy use. Large building owners are now required to display a placard illustrating their building’s energy performance to the public. The 650 buildings that secured the top energy rating this year represents a six per cent increase from 2019.

The Chicago Energy Benchmarking Ordinance uses the 1-100 Energy Star score to track energy performance, which considers occupancy, operational characteristics, and Chicago’s climate zone. The median Energy Star score for all reporting properties in 2020 was 60, a three-point increase since 2019, higher than the national median of 50. This indicates Chicago properties over 50,000 square feet are performing slightly better than most comparable buildings in the US.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/chicagos-buildings-notch-up-25-per-cent-reduction-in-emissions/

Remote sensing technology reduces urban air pollution

February 12, 2022

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Remote sensing technology reduces urban air pollutionCities that adopt roadside emissions sensors to detect high polluting vehicles, together with an enforcement program to inspect and repair these vehicles, could significantly improve urban air quality, new research shows.

Cities that adopt roadside emissions sensors to detect high polluting vehicles, together with an enforcement program to inspect and repair these vehicles, could significantly improve urban air quality, new research shows.

Vehicle emissions are the most significant source of air pollution in the urban environment worldwide, impacting the climate and the health of millions of people. Reducing air pollution is a key target of the United Nations sustainable development goals.

"Car exhaust fumes contain poisonous gasses such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter that cause lung cancer, heart failure, asthma and other diseases," says research co-author, Professor John Zhou from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

"Remote sensing equipment uses a sensor and light beam to measure chemical concentrations in the exhaust as a vehicle drives past. A camera records the license plate, so vehicles can be identified for inspection and repair," he says.

Although new cars are required to meet emissions standards, older cars, those with high kilometers and cars that have been modified, or not well maintained, can malfunction and have significantly higher emission levels, leading to high levels of air pollution.

Researchers from UTS partnered with the Hong Kong Environmental Protection Department (HKEPD) and the Hong Kong Vocational Training Council to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of Hong Kong's remote sensing enforcement program.

They examined data from the start of the program in September 2014 to December 2018, which included around 2.9 million vehicle counts from over 150 monitoring sites. They also looked at air quality monitoring and chassis dynamometer testing data.

In total, 16,365 high-emitting LPG and petrol vehicles were identified by remote sensing and issued with emission test notices. Among them, 96.3% of the high emitters were successfully repaired and subsequently passed the Hong Kong Transient Emission Test (HKTET).

Only 1.4% of vehicles failed the HKTET, and 2.3% of vehicles did not take the test, causing the cancelation of 558 vehicle licenses.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, found that Hong Kong's remote sensing enforcement program led to a significant and continuing reduction in the level of harmful chemicals at the roadside and in the wider atmospheric environment.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/remote-sensing-technology-reduces-urban-air-pollution/

Govt considers building SMART tunnel in Shah Alam

February 12, 2022

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Govt considers building SMART tunnel in Shah AlamPUTRAJAYA: Shah Alam may be getting a SMART tunnel system as a solution to mitigate floods in the area, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

PUTRAJAYA: Shah Alam may be getting a SMART tunnel system as a solution to mitigate floods in the area, says Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The Prime Minister said that this was part of a list of short and long-term measures identified to resolve flood issues nationwide and to reduce the effects of such disasters on the people's well-being.

He said a national disaster management committee meeting chaired by him had heard a proposal for SMART tunnels to be constructed, especially in high-density areas such as Shah Alam.

"The meeting had also endorsed a host of proposals by the Environment and Water Ministry, including to upgrade, deepen and widen main rivers, to build more barriers and barrages.

"There are also plans to develop settlement areas that are resilient like sponge cities in China.

"All these proposals are comprehensive solutions to the flood problem and they involve not only allocations by the billions of ringgit but also a long time before they can materialise.

"Therefore the meeting agrees for the government to focus on high-risk areas and that priority be given to implement these plans," he said in a statement on Friday (Feb 4).

The meeting, held online, was attended by Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers, Chief of Armed Forces Jen Tan Sri Affendi Buang, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali.

Other measures proposed were to improve the flood siren and warning system at Drainage and Irrigation Department centres as well as monitoring via closed-circuit television (CCTV).

A flood forecast and warning system based on artificial intelligence would be developed while some 100 weather observation stations would be upgraded.

"I have also directed authorities to ensure that urban planning takes into consideration flood risks," said the Prime Minister.

He said the "whole of society" approach must be translated into policies and that civil societies should be roped in to help in such situations.

"We will also strengthen the local community where community leaders will be tasked as first responders in a disaster," he said.

The recent floods caused an estimated RM6.1bil in losses due to damage on public assets and infrastructure, houses, vehicles, business premises as well as the manufacturing and agriculture sectors.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/govt-considers-building-smart-tunnel-in-shah-alam/

FedEx launches AI-powered sorting robot to drive smart logistics

February 12, 2022

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FedEx launches AI-powered sorting robot to drive smart logistics - Parcel and Postal Technology InternationalFedEx launches AI-powered sorting robot to drive smart logistics - read more about this with Parcel and Postal Technology International

FedEx Express has launched DoraSorter, an AI-powered intelligent sorting robot, in Guangzhou, China, collaboration with Dorabot, a leading robotics solution provider for logistics. The sorting robot represents the company’s latest push in digitizing its operations and building a smart logistics network to handle the ever-growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments in the region.

The first of its kind in China for FedEx, the DoraSorter robot is being deployed at the 5,200m2 FedEx South China E-Commerce Shipment Sorting Center in Guangzhou. DoraSorter is already part of the daily sorting operations and is capable of handling small inbound and outbound packages from e-commerce customers in South China.

While FedEx and Dorabot teams continue to fine-tune the robot based on operational requirements and explore more application scenarios, DoraSorter’s core function of sorting parcels based on destination matches the sorting center’s operation process.

Key features of DoraSorter include:

- At approximately 40m2, the robot can carry up to 10kg of packages, covering up to 100 destinations simultaneously;

- The robot has a special drawer-shaped gripper that can connect with the conveyor belt seamlessly;

- Equipped with a barcode reader that scans packages to obtain destination information, the robot uses its gripper to receive a package inward from the conveyor belt and moves it outward to the corresponding destination slot.

“With e-commerce taking center stage in the future of retail in our region, the speed with which a parcel can be picked up and delivered to customers’ doorsteps has become a dominant factor in driving the adoption of sorting robots,” said Kawal Preet, president of the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region at FedEx Express. “Bringing DoraSorter to China as a pilot program is a natural choice for us given it’s the world’s biggest e-commerce market with an expected valuation of US$3.3tn by 2025.

“As we look to build a data-driven, smart logistics network to help our customers thrive in the digital economy, this alliance with Dorabot is part of becoming the network for what’s next. AI-powered technology will continue to change how we support customers in the region and enhance supply chains for the future.”

Xiaobai Deng, founder and CEO of Dorabot, commented, “The use of DoraSorter helps FedEx sort a higher volume of cross-border e-commerce shipments. It is the starting point of a global collaboration between Dorabot and FedEx. We hope that we can work together to bring AI and robotics applications to more businesses and consumers.”

https://www.civilengineering.ai/fedex-launches-ai-powered-sorting-robot-to-drive-smart-logistics/

Geospatial vital for growth of the transport sector

February 12, 2022

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Geospatial vital for growth of the transport sectorTransport and logistics, once the weakest link in the Indian development story can be overhauled with the help of geospatial technologies.

Transport and logistics, once the weakest link in the Indian development story can be overhauled with the help of geospatial technologies like GIS, AI, ML, IoT, and analytics.

While India’s transportation and logistics industry constitutes 5% of GDP, it handles 4.6 billion tons of goods amounting to ₹9.5 Lakh crores ($127.7 billion) annually, employing over 2.2 crore (22 million) people.

Increasing population and a shift in lifestyle patterns are constantly accelerating the demand for the movement of people and goods. According to NITI Aayog, the demand for the movement of goods is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% and is projected to touch 15.6 trillion km by 2050. Recognizing the critical role of the sector in the country’s economic growth the Government of India (GoI) has allocated over ₹111 lakh crores (nearly $1.5 billion) under the National Infrastructure Pipeline for FY 2019-25. As part of the exercise, roads alone will account for 18% of the capital expenditure.

India has the second-largest road network in the world spanning a total of 5,890,000 km and transporting over 90% of the country’s population as well as 70% of its goods. Recognized as one of the largest railway systems in the world under a single management, the Indian railway network travels over 67,000 km across the subcontinent, plying 23 million passengers and 3 million tons of freight annually. At the same time, logistical costs in India amount to 14% of GDP, with transportation and inventory accounting for more than 90% of these costs. In India, costs are 30% higher for road transport and 70% higher for rail and coastal transport respectively when compared with countries like the U.S. These high costs are detrimental to both consumer spending and economic prosperity.

You can read the cover article in this series here

Challenges ahead

Road transport is energy and CO2 intensive and ends up being more expensive than other modes. Productivity of transportation by trucks in India is also low at 300 km per day compared to the global average of 500 to 800 km per day, with empty running rates as high as 40%. Already a concern, CO2 emissions from freight transport are projected to increase by 451% — from 220 million tons in 2020 to 1,214 million tons in 2050, which would negatively impact the food and water security of the country. Statistics released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for 2019 reveal that India reported 1,230 accidents and 414 deaths every day — nearly 51 accidents and 17 deaths every hour.

India’s rail network too is severely constrained and operates under its full capacity, while there is a compelling need to increase goods movement by rail to reduce the load on road transport and lower CO2 emissions.

As per NITI Aayog, a two-fold increase in freight movement by rail can lead to seven million fewer trucks by 2050, contributing to 388 million tons worth of reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050. In order to achieve this, it becomes imperative to improve existing rail network infrastructure, rail traffic and route management, and strengthen the intermodal network with ports and airports.

Slow technology adoption and inadequate digitization of transportation processes is a major challenge that is crippling the sector’s competitiveness and growth. As the backbone of economic activity, it goes without saying that technology will be the key enabler for transforming the transport ecosystem in order to realize India’s economic ambition.

According to the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the GoI, the future of the Indian transport industry will be carved by radical transformations through major disruptive technologies: intelligent transport systems driven by Industry 4.0, data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) from Hyperloop to autonomous and remotely piloted vehicles. For the sector to transform holistically, contextualizing the challenges and understanding the relationships and interdependencies spatially becomes paramount. Geo-enabled transformation is the need of the hour that can address diverse ecosystem complexities and at the same time provide actionable intelligence for making informed decisions. Geospatial technologies will be a force multiplier for the digital transformation of India’s transport sector.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/geospatial-vital-for-growth-of-the-transport-sector-2/

Monitoring ventilation with a carbon dioxide sensor

February 12, 2022

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Monitoring ventilation with a carbon dioxide sensorALMOST everyone knows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is airborne, that it could be transmitted through very tiny particles suspended in the air called aerosols. For the longest time,...

ALMOST everyone knows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is airborne, that it could be transmitted through very tiny particles suspended in the air called aerosols. For the longest time, the Department of Health (DoH) got stuck with their "Mask, Hugas, Iwas, Bakuna." But as part of its holiday reminders, the DoH added airflow to its slogan on Covid-19 prevention, probably to acknowledge that stagnant air eases virus transmission. Telling people to open their windows and allow fresh air in is not enough. Aside from getting the vaccines and other interventions, health protocols need to stress the use of well-fitted masks, ventilation and air filtration.

In an article, "With Covid-19, Air Is Both the Problem and the Solution," written by Jonathan Jarry, a question is raised. How is ventilation adequate in any room? To assess potential SARS-CoV-2 aerosols, a nondispersive infrared (NDIR) carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor could be used, suggests Jarry. "You want the air in your house to be as fresh as the outdoor air," added Professor Kimberly Prather, an atmospheric chemist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UC San Diego, who studies aerosols. "We humans breathe air in, hold onto the oxygen, and breathe out CO2. An NDIR CO2 sensor uses a specific beam of infrared light that CO2 molecules love to absorb. The more CO2 in the detector, the less infrared hits the sensor. The device translates this into the amount of CO2 present in the air in parts per million (ppm). When people release CO2 into a shared room, that number creeps up. All that means is that you are breathing other people's shared breaths. We don't want that."

The CO2 detector could not tell you if the virus is present in the air. But if the virus is present, large quantities of CO2 mean ventilation is inadequate. Those aerosolized viruses are not leaving the room anytime soon. "As a rule of thumb, if a room has between 600 and 800 ppm CO2, that's pretty good. Over 1,000 ppm, that is an indicator that ventilation is insufficient," Professor V. Faye McNeill affirms. McNeill does research on aerosols and air quality in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Columbia University.

I bought a CO2 detector at Shopee during the holidays and brought it with me to the supermarket and the drugstore. Most of the places I visited showed CO2 levels at above 1,000 ppm. Ventilation at home was at 400 ppm. Anything above 1,000 ppm prompted me to wear a double mask just to be safe. My friends and I share pictures of our CO2 sensors when we visit malls and other enclosed spaces on the Facebook page of Healthy Indoor Spaces (Medical and Health). A friend reported to me that CO2 levels in his office reached over 2,000 ppm. "No wonder I got Covid-19 three times," he exclaimed. Are workplaces even following the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) Order 224 issued on March 3, 2021, on the "Guidelines on Ventilation for Workplaces and Public Transport to Prevent and Control the Spread of Covid-19?" Quantitative assessment notes that "CO2 is commonly used as a surrogate indicator for assessing indoor air quality (IAQ) and ventilation efficiency. CO2 concentration shall not exceed 1,000 ppm."

https://www.civilengineering.ai/monitoring-ventilation-with-a-carbon-dioxide-sensor/

Assessing and optimizing the quality of sensor networks

February 10, 2022

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Assessing and optimizing the quality of sensor networksRather than using a single, centralized sensor to gather data, many experiments deploy multiple sensors in complex networks. This offers numerous advantages: including higher sensitivities and resolutions in experimental measurements, and the ability to catch and correct errors more effectively. Yet…

Rather than using a single, centralized sensor to gather data, many experiments deploy multiple sensors in complex networks. This offers numerous advantages: including higher sensitivities and resolutions in experimental measurements, and the ability to catch and correct errors more effectively. Yet with all the complexities involved in managing each sensor, and collecting all of their data streams at once, it can be extremely challenging to determine how the sensors should be arranged to obtain optimal results. Through new research published in EPJ D, Joseph Smiga at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz proposes a new way to quantify the quality of sensor networks, and uses his methods to suggest improvements to existing experiments.

Smiga's discoveries could lead to improvements to measurements of vector fields, which map the varying magnitudes and directions of physical quantities in space. Sensor networks play a crucial role in these studies: allowing researchers to measure phenomena including gravitational waves, and subtle variations in Earth's gravitational field. In addition, they are currently being used in the search for Dark Matter: the enigmatic substance believed to explain a large proportion of the universe's overall mass, but which only weakly interacts with regular matter, making it notoriously difficult to detect directly.

One such experiment is the Global Network of Optical Magnetometers for Exotic physics searches (GNOME): containing a network of magnetometers positioned all across the Earth. The project aims to uncover exotic, as-yet theoretical vector fields associated with Dark Matter, which couple to the quantum spins of protons and neutrons—producing an effect similar to a magnetic field. In his study, Smiga describes a method for calculating the sensitivity of a sensor network. This allowed him to quantify how well its sensors are arranged; and subsequently, to suggest how networks should be optimized. By re-orienting the sensing directions of its existing magnetometers, his results suggest that the sensitivity of the GNOME network could be improved, compared with previous runs of the experiment.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/assessing-and-optimizing-the-quality-of-sensor-networks/

Explore options of building satellite bus stations

February 10, 2022

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‘Explore options of building satellite bus stations’Minister for Urban Development B.A. Basavaraj on Tuesday asked Mangaluru City Corporation to explore the possibility of constructing satellite bus stations in the city if the move to develop a bus sta

Minister for Urban Development B.A. Basavaraj on Tuesday asked Mangaluru City Corporation to explore the possibility of constructing satellite bus stations in the city if the move to develop a bus stand or transport hub for private buses at Pumpwell is not working out.

Speaking at a meeting to review ubran development projects taken up by Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL), the city corporation, Mangaluru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), the Minister said that satellite bus stations can be constructed at four places.

Earlier, Member of Legislative Council Manjunath Bhandary said that the project proposed at Pumpwell has not been found feasible and hence, an alternative move should be made.

The Minister said that as the project proposed at Pumpwell is expected to cost ₹460 crore, no investor is coming forward to take it up under public-private partnership model. He asked the corporation to discuss the matter with MLAs, MP and other representatives and proceed further.

Deputy Commissioner K.V. Rajendra said that notwithstanding the bids that were invited thrice, a bidder could not be selected.

The Minister was upset with the lack of cleanliness maintained in the city and delay in the implementation of projects by Mangaluru Smart City Ltd. and the KUIDFC.

He asked the city corporation to take up a ward-wise drive to maintain cleanliness. No garbage should be allowed to be dumped at public places. “Identify those who dump garbage at public places and file criminal cases against them,” the Minister said.

The Minister asked corporation Commissioner Askhy Sridhar to inspect the wards for cleanliness and take action against the health section officials concerned if they are found lethargic in discharging their duties.

Mr. Basavaraj asked MSCL to complete the road projects within three months and restore the roads that have been dug up leaving no debris on them.

He was upset when it was found that the KUIDFC has laid only 250 km of 1,388-km long pipeline network in the city under the Jala Siri Scheme estimated at ₹792 crore. At the same time, KUIDFC could build 13 of 19 overhead tanks under the scheme.

He was unhappy that MSCL could complete only 16 of the 63 road projects planned.

The Minister asked the authorities of KUIDFC and MSCL to cancel the contract of such bidders who have failed to complete the projects assigned to them, file criminal cases against them and award the projects to new contractors.

Mr. Basavaraj asked MSCL to invite bids for taking up ₹200 crore water front project without delay.

Member of Legislative Assembly Y. Bharat Shetty and Umanath A. Kotian, Mayor Premananda Shetty, Managing Director of KUIDFC M.T. Reju and in-charge Managing Director of MSCL Prashanth Kumar Mishra were present.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/explore-options-of-building-satellite-bus-stations/

Kyiv builds infrastructure for IoT, plans to install sensors and launch 'smart' solutions for city

February 10, 2022

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Kyiv builds infrastructure for IoT, plans to install sensors and launch ‘smart’ solutions for cityKyiv City State Administration has implemented a project to build a city backbone network and infrastructure for the implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

Kyiv City State Administration has implemented a project to build a city backbone network and infrastructure for the implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

According to Kyiv City State Administration, with reference to the chief digital transformationofficer of Kyiv (CDTO) Petro Olenych, this will allow monitoring the state of the environment, controlling the microclimate in schools or hospitals and improving the efficiency of public services.

"A smart city is impossible without the introduction of the Internet of Things technologies: traditional infrastructure, a network of connected sensors and a control system. Already, Kyiv is covered with a network for collecting and analyzing data - 295 base stations operate in all districts of the city for this. The next step is to install sensors on locations and information analysis," he said.

Thanks to the LoRaWAN wireless communication technology, sensors can be used to obtain data with maximum energy efficiency, Oleh Polovinko, the director of the department of information and communication technologies of Kyiv City State Administration, explained.

It is planned that the sensors will be installed on gas pipelines, water pipes, electrical panels, etc.

One of the examples of the implementation of IoT in the city is "smart waste bins".

"Sensors on the tanks will inform about the possible ignition of a fire in the container, display and predict the fullness using an ultrasonic signal. When the tank is full, the utilities will be notified about the need for garbage collection.

"What are the direct effects of these decisions on this example? Processes are becoming more economical: we do not drive a garbage truck around the city, but we can optimally build a route, saving both fuel and driver time," he emphasized.

As reported, the mobile operator lifecell, together with the Internet of Things network operator using the LoRaWAN technology, the IoT Ukraine company and the integrator company Smart Eco Logic, launched a project of water supply account for Lutskvodokanal.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/kyiv-builds-infrastructure-for-iot-plans-to-install-sensors-and-launch-smart-solutions-for-city/

Krohne collaborates to facilitate IoT in industrial processes

February 10, 2022

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Krohne collaborates to facilitate IoT in industrial processesKrohne Group, a leading global manufacturer of process instrumentation, measurement solutions and services, has developed an integrated, easy-to-use solution to take advantage of the IoT sensors and equipment installed by default in industrial sites.

Krohne Group, a leading global manufacturer of process instrumentation, measurement solutions and services, has developed an integrated, easy-to-use solution to take advantage of the increased number of IoT sensors and equipment increasingly installed by default in brownfield industrial sites around the world. Together with Phoenix Contact and Software AG, Krohne has developed a scalable, secure best-of-breed solution: the OT-IT bridge. It brings diagnostic information and process measurement values onto IoT platforms with minimal additional effort. Each partner contributes its specific knowledge: Krohne as a long-standing manufacturer of solutions for process instrumentation, Phoenix Contact with its expertise in OT connectivity and automation technology, and Software AG as one of the global market leaders for integration platforms as well as IoT and analytics solutions for enterprises, said a statement. Leveraging NOA (Namur Open Architecture) and OPC UA, the OT-IT Bridge paves the way to deliver Process Industry 4.0 stakeholders are pushing to deliver in the quest for ongoing optimisation, it said.Frank Janssens, Vice President, Krohne Middle East and Africa, said: “As a family company with over a century of expertise to draw upon, Krohne still sees the value of collaboration. By bringing together best in class technological partners we are able to deliver what our valued customers expect: high quality data-driven solutions that maintain the security and safety aspects crucial to mission critical industrial plants around the world. The OT-IT Bridge enables forward-thinking companies to take full advantage of technology in place today and futureproof their diagnostic setups for years to come.”In designing the solution, the first priority was that plant availability, reliability and safety - both cyber security and functional safety - must remain top priorities. For this reason, the partners consider the NOA concept to be a suitable basis for realising OT-IT integration and having the necessary data available in the future to solve Industry 4.0 use cases. In the future, users can exploit the potential that process instrumentation with HART or fieldbus interfaces already offers, in addition to the primary measured process value, almost all Krohne instruments transmit diagnostic information regarding their status as well as other process values via the digital HART protocol. In addition to the flow rate, for example, electromagnetic flowmeters acquire the conductivity, which allows conclusions about build-ups in the pipeline. This can be used for predictive maintenance, for example if the build-up poses a risk of damaging a pump. Coriolis mass flowmeters also determine the gas bubble content and also provide density and concentration measurements. In level measurement, sensors provide information on foaming. Also, pressure or temperature sensors are additionally integrated into various process instruments for different parameters. The OT-IT interface solution implemented by Krohne, Phoenix Contact and Software AG provides this additional information via the OPC UA protocol. Via the OPC UA interface of a field controller from Phoenix Contact, the data is transferred through the OT-IT bridge to the Software AG platform. This makes the data for example available for analysis, monitoring and optimisation. At the same time, it offers an easy possibility to tap into the great potential of existing plants with components and software tools available today, it said. – TradeArabia News Service

https://www.civilengineering.ai/krohne-collaborates-to-facilitate-iot-in-industrial-processes/

Global Construction Summit tackles 5D BIM at the Winter Olympics and improving safety

February 10, 2022

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Global Construction Summit tackles 5D BIM at the Winter Olympics and improving safety

Global Construction Summit tackles 5D BIM at the Winter Olympics and improving safety - Global Construction ReviewThe implementation of 5D BIM in the construction of the Beijing Winter Olympic Village and improving safety will both be debated during the Global Construction Summit, organised by the Chartered…

The implementation of 5D BIM in the construction of the Beijing Winter Olympic Village and improving safety will both be debated during the Global Construction Summit, organised by the Chartered Institute of Building and BIMplus sister website Global Construction Review.

The 4D and 5D BIM webinar takes place on 24 February at 9am GMT and features two case studies detailing the time and cost improvements of taking BIM beyond 3D, including the current Winter Olympic Village and a project in the UK. The speakers are:

- Pierpaolo Franco, vice president – international business development at Glodon;

- James Bowles, founder of 4D specialist Freeform; and

- Declan Mawson, operations manager at JN Bentley.

The speakers will highlight how 4D and 5D can:

- create more secure project schedules;

- improve safety planning and communication;

- identify and mitigate risks; and

- enable more informed, collaborative decisions to be made.

The webinar is sponsored by Glodon and is free to attend.

Improving safety performance

The safety webinar takes place on 22 February at 2pm GMT and will feature three expert speakers:

- Steve Coppin, chair of the Chartered Institute of Building health, safety and wellbeing group and member of the Health & Safety Executive’s BIM4 working group, will talk about the clients’ guidance for integrating health and safety within Project Information Requirements as the industry transitions from PAS 1192-6:2018 to ISO 19650-6;

- Robert Norton, UK senior account manager – fire, health and safety at PlanRadar, will detail how digitalising safety management and performance can pay dividends; and

- George Mosey, head of health and safety, Europe, at Laing O’Rourke, will talk about the major contractor’s approach to health and safety.

The webinar is sponsored by PlanRadar and is free to attend.

The two webinars are part of the three-day Global Construction Summit, which also features webinars focused on: clients’ priorities; equality, diversity and inclusion; and proving the benefits of information management.

The Global Construction Summit is set to become the key annual event for built environment professionals seeking to understand the latest trends, learn best practice and uncover innovations from across the world.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/global-construction-summit-tackles-5d-bim-at-the-winter-olympics-and-improving-safety/

Putting the bus at the heart of our communities

February 10, 2022

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Putting the bus at the heart of our communities

Putting the bus at the heart of our communitiesBuses used to be central to our lives and communities, but this has been lost through decades of privatisation. Or has it?

Buses used to be central to our lives and communities, but this has been lost through decades of privatisation, underinvestment and rising private car ownership. Or has it?

Trapeze Group recently commissioned a research project which engaged a diverse group of London bus users with quantitative and qualitative surveys. The intended focus of this project was primarily around information delivery. However, as Trapeze delved into the responses, something interesting emerged: the results highlighted that respondents feel strong emotional bonds with bus travel.

This article offers insight into the findings of Trapeze‘s research project and the conclusions that were made, as well as how these findings highlight what can be done by the industry to increase patronage.

https://www.civilengineering.ai/putting-the-bus-at-the-heart-of-our-communities/

Transport Scotland plots new transit systems as part of drive to net zero

February 05, 2022

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Transport Scotland plots new transit systems as part of drive to net zero

Transport Scotland plots new transit systems as part of drive to net zero | New Civil EngineerIt has just published its second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), which contains 45 recommendations to make the nation’s transport more

Transport Scotland has said it will develop an Edinburgh & South East Scotland Mass Transit and an Aberdeen Rapid Transit, as well as the multi-billion pound Clyde Metro in Glasgow, as it plans for a cleaner and better connected future.

It has just published its second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), which contains 45 recommendations to make the nation’s transport more sustainable and to support residents to make more informed choices on how they travel.

Improved transit systems in the country’s biggest city regions is a key move.

There will be improvements to connectivity in Glasgow through the creation of the multi-billion pound Clyde Metro, connecting it to the surrounding areas of East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire. Transport Scotland is yet to determine what this may look like, but the STPR2 says it may include one or more of bus rapid transit, tram, light rail and/or metro rail. This would integrate with the current bus and heavy rail networks.

The STPR2 also proposes the development of an Edinburgh Mass Transit system, integrating bus rapid transit and trams with the current bus, tram and heavy rail networks. The City of Edinburgh Council is leading a study into how to deliver the scheme, with the initial focus being on mass transit connectivity from Granton in the north of the city down through the centre and to the south and east extremities.

The proposed Rapid Transit system for Aberdeen would be a bus based system to provide more competitive and efficient public transport into and around the Aberdeen City region. It would focus on key corridors of demand and the areas where congestion impacts on current bus services.

The STPR2’s other recommendations for future transport investments include:

- Support rural and island communities by continuing investment in ferry renewals, improving port infrastructures and connections from ferry terminals

- Decarbonise public transport; increasing the shift to zero emission vehicles

- Encourage more people to walk, wheel and cycle more often

- Develop a net zero freight and logistics network

- Development and delivery of “active freeways” – high quality arterial active travel corridors providing sustainable transport infrastructure between settlements and major trip attractors

- Expansion of 20mph zones

- Reallocate road space away from private cars and towards active travel; create high-quality urban environments to create better places by enhancing the attractiveness of towns and villages

- Create guidance and framework for delivering “mobility hubs” – recognisable places with an offer of different and connected transport modes supplemented with enhanced facilities and information features to both attract and benefit the traveller

- Investment in pilot schemes for demand responsive transport

- Enhance facilities at major rail stations to make them more efficient and effective for public use, embracing active travel solutions

- Reallocate road space for buses

- Infrastructure to provide access for all at rail stations

- Investment in low-carbon and alternative fuel systems

- Delivery of rail decarbonisation programme

- Strategy for improving rest and welfare facilities for hauliers

- Investment in the strategic road network asset

- Access to Argyll and Bute other than the A83

- Speed management plan

Scotland cabinet secretary for net zero, energy and transport Michael Matheson said: “The investment decisions we make now have never been more important. A green recovery from Covid-19 will set us on a path to delivering a fair and just transition to net zero. The pandemic has led to fundamental shifts in travel behaviours and we want to ensure that people continue to make sustainable travel choices, that they return to public transport and our economic recovery does not overly rely on road-based travel.

“The STPR2 recommendations support the measures set out last week in our route map to reduce car kilometres by 20% by 2030 and represent a major piece of work by this government to make Scotland – all of Scotland – more sustainable.

“This review represents a repositioning of our transport investment priorities – the focus is firmly on how transport can help us protect our climate and improve lives. It takes a balanced and fair approach to all modes of transport, and all areas of Scotland.

“The recommendations set out in STPR2 will help deliver the four priorities of our National Transport Strategy - reducing inequalities; taking climate action; helping deliver inclusive economic growth; and improving our health and wellbeing. They’ll now go out for consultation and I urge individuals, community groups, businesses and public and third sector organisations to share their views with us so that together we can shape a transport system fit for a healthy, fair and green future.”

Glasgow City Council leader and Glasgow City Region City Deal Cabinet chair Susan Aitken said: “Today’s announcement marks a major step forward in our commitment to creating a modern, sustainable, integrated public transport system for the city of Glasgow and its surrounding metropolitan region. Clyde Metro’s inclusion in the STPR2 report is a huge vote of confidence in the work done to date by Transport Scotland and the City Council in advancing the concept and the compelling case for it.

“Metro will be transformational - reducing social and economic inequalities, delivering on economic growth, better connecting outlying and poorly served communities and incentivising large-scale modal shift from private car to public transport.

“Over the past several decades, modern rapid transit systems like Metro are what Glasgow’s comparator cities across the globe have been busy constructing. We cannot continue to be left behind. More than arguably any other single intervention, Clyde Metro can help deliver a vibrant, prosperous, inclusive and sustainable city region, a transport system fit for our international standing and ambitions.”

Scotland’s Railway managing director Alex Hynes said: “I’m encouraged that today’s report recognises the major role rail will play in moving people and goods sustainably as we move towards a net zero Scotland. At Scotland’s Railway we are keenly focused on a number of clearly defined targets to achieve the Scottish Government’s net zero ambitions and we’ve already delivered a 38% overall reduction in carbon emissions in the last eight years.

“Looking ahead, the financial picture is of course challenging but it’s great to see STPR2 support the potential for even more rail passengers and freight being transported by rail.”

https://www.civilengineering.ai/transport-scotland-plots-new-transit-systems-as-part-of-drive-to-net-zero/

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